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ADAC Rallye Deutschland is receiving a makeover for the 2013 season. For the first time since its introduction to the WRC calendar in 2002, this year's German event will begin in Cologne. The event will begin with a presentation of the championship's cars and drivers at Roncalliplatz, with Cologne cathedral providing a stunning backdrop.

On leaving the Domplatte square in Cologne, the rally's first special stage will commence near Blankenheim. Following this, the second special stage near Sauteral will be held on the evening of 22nd August, posing a unique night time challenge.

From there, ADAC Rallye Deutschland heads towards its base city of Trier in Germany's wine-making Mosel district. The championship's three days in Germany are an asphalt rally like no other with three different types of sealed surfaces used.

Andreas Mikkelsen has withdrawn from ADAC Rallye Deutschland due to an injury to co-driver Mikko Markkula.

Markkula (pictured left) has fractured his seventh vertebrae and partially fractured his eighth vertebrae. The injuries happened during Rally Finland earlier this month and Volkswagen Motorsport made the decision to withdraw the duo this morning.

Markkula complained of back problems in Finland, but the pain eased following the event. However, the pain returned during Monday’s opening day of recce and the Finn underwent an MRI scan which revealed the extent of the injuries.

“I suffered severe back pains on the Sunday of Rally Finland,” explained Markkula. “We assumed it was muscular tension. The pain eased off after the rally, just as the doctors had said it would.

“However, it has returned over the past few days and on Tuesday evening I went for a more accurate MRI scan and it was then that we determined I had fractured the two vertebrae.

“Nobody had considered that possibility, and it was obviously a shock because it meant we would have to withdraw from the rally at the last minute. We are really disappointed. I also feel sorry for the team, for whom we wanted to get a good result at our home rally,” he added.

Volkswagen pilot Jari-Matti Latvala set the pace today in the shakedown for Rallye Deutschland.

Latvala, who is looking to bounce back after a disappointing run on his home event in Finland earlier this month, completed the 4.55 kilometre-long stage in 2 minutes 23.5 seconds, putting him 0.7 seconds up the Citroen of Dani Sordo.

Thierry Neuville meanwhile came in third for the Qatar World Rally Team, 0.1 seconds further back, while Sebastien Ogier and Evgeny Novikov were fourth and fifth respectively. Mads Ostberg, Mikko Hirvonen and Per-Gunnar Andersson rounded out the top eight.

The event now starts 'proper' on Thursday, with two competitive stages on the bill. The first, the 23.54 km Blankenheim test, is scheduled to get underway at 17.53 hours local time [16.53 hours UK time].

Note: There is no qualifying stage in Germany, as Rallye Deutschland is an asphalt event. Qualifying is only deemed necessary on gravel events, where starting position is more critical as the roads can clean if it is dry, meaning those out first end up acting as 'road sweepers'.

Who to watch out for in the WRC 2, WRC 3 and Junior categories in Germany.

WRC 2

Both category leader Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and second-placed Nicolas Fuchs are absent, leaving the way open for Robert Kubica to move to the top of the standings. The Pole lies 17 points behind Al-Kuwari in a Citroen DS3 RRC, but is the form driver with two wins and a second from the last three rounds.

Sure to go well on home ground are former leader Sepp Wiegand [pictured] in a Skoda Fabia S2000, and Armin Kremer, sixth in the standings in a Ford Fiesta RRC. Wiegand warmed up with a test at the Rallye Wartburg, having not competed on asphalt since the Barum Rally in the Czech Republic last September.

New Zealand’s Hayden Paddon makes his second appearance in another Fabia and confidence is high after claiming third in Finland earlier this month. Paddon completed two runs through the shakedown test yesterday, trying different set-ups to prepare for the varied road characteristics synonymous with this rally.

The Ford Fiesta R5, which scored a debut win in Finland, will again feature strongly. Elfyn Evans, Karl Kruuda, Eyvind Brynildsen, Subhan Aksa, Rashid Al Ketbi and Robert Barrable all have the latest WRC 2 weapon. Barrable showed strong pace in Finland and prepared with a class win and fifth overall in the Tyneside Stages Rally in northern England.

WRC 3

Seven crews will do battle in the WRC 3 category, all of whom are competing in Citroen DS3 R3 cars as part of the French manufacturer’s Top Driver series.

Three of the four drivers who have claimed category wins so far are here. Sebastien Chardonnet, winner in Monte Carlo, leads the standings with a 20 point advantage over Keith Cronin, who won in Finland earlier this month and has a strong asphalt pedigree in his native Ireland. “We have all the cards we need up our sleeve to have a successful race. It’s up to us to play them intelligently,” said Cronin.

Third-placed Quentin Gilbert will enjoy the switch to asphalt while local boy Christian Riedemann, who won in Italy but failed to score on his other two outings, will be keen to make up ground on home territory. Non-starters include Francesco Parli, due to medical reasons, and Alastair Fisher, who has opted to compete in Rally Northern Ireland this weekend.

Junior WRC

After three loose-surface events, Rallye Deutschland brings a switch to asphalt for round four of the Junior Championship, and the chance of a shake-up in the young driver standings.

Championship leader Pontus Tidemand is one of many Junior drivers to be less than familiar with the specialist challenge, while those with more asphalt experience have an opportunity to catch up.

Second in the standings, 29 points adrift of Tidemand, Spain’s José Suárez, is tipped to do well, as are Canary Islander Yeray Lemes and Switzerland’s Michael Burri, who has tackled this rally twice before.

At the other end of experience scale, Estonia’s Sander Pärn - third after two podiums in a row in Greece and Finland - will make his tarmac rally debut. These five competitors will be joined by Martin Koči, Murat Bostanci, Niko Nieminen and Marius Aasen.

Junior newcomer Pieter Cracco will start his first event with a two-minute penalty after breaking recce rules. The Belgian-born driver was reprimanded by event Stewards for driving a four-wheel drive car on the recce and not a two-wheel drive as specified in the rules.

Finland’s Andreas Amberg, who won the last round in his home country, has also been in trouble with the Stewards. Amberg pulled out of Rallye Deutschland because of financial problems and has been docked 25 championship points.

World Championship leader Sebastien Ogier began ADAC Rallye Deutschland with a convincing win in the opening stage, topping the time charts by 4.6sec from Volkswagen Motorsport team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala.

However, the Frenchman was rather animated at the wheel of his Polo R at the stop line. “It wasn’t so good. I’m not so happy with the car because there was a lot of understeer. We’ll try to change something in the set-up because it’s hard to drive the car like that,” he said.

Fastest by nearly five seconds but unhappy with his car’s handling – an ominous prospect for his rivals……

Latvala also reported set-up issues after a clear run. “The car was a bit too stiff and I couldn’t get the grip as much as I was hoping,” the Finn told WRC Live.

Thierry Neuville was third in a Ford Fiesta RS, 9.2sec behind Ogier. Although only the two Volkswagen drivers were ahead of the Belgian in the running order, the effects of corner cutting were already apparent.

“The road is getting more and more dirty,” said Neuville. “I was understeering like hell all stage. I had no confidence at all and drove very badly.”

Dani Sordo was fourth in his Citroen DS3, the Spaniard 15.4sec off the lead and 4.3sec ahead of downbeat team-mate Mikko Hirvonen. His DS3 completed the test with a dent in his front right wheel rim.

“In a cut there was a big hole. I didn’t expect to hit it so hard and it was vibrating afterwards. I’m not on the pace at all. I wasn’t brave enough over the cuts and in the slippery corners,” admitted the Finn.

Mads Ostberg rounded off the top six in his Fiesta RS, 21.7sec behind Ogier and the Norwegian reported massive understeer in the high speed sections.

Volkswagen’s Sebastien Ogier holds a 5.7sec overnight lead of ADAC Rallye Deutschland after the opening two asphalt stages run this afternoon in the countryside south of Cologne.

Ogier was first to tackle Thursday’s second test, the brand new Sauertal, and arrived at the finish control in his Polo R World Rally Car with a grin on his face.

“That was better than the first one,” said the Frenchman, who was fastest on both of Thursday's tests. “I think the first stage was hard for everyone because there was no grip, but this was much better and I had more fun. Okay, not a bad start but it’s just the beginning. The real rally starts tomorrow.”

Ogier’s team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala was second quickest, to lie 5.7sec adrift in the overall standings and secure a perfect one-two for Volkswagen at the end of the first day of the manufacturer’s home rally.

“The dust on the first stage made it tricky but clearly this was much better,” said Latvala. “Generally a good run for me, braking too early in a couple of places, but better.”

Third quickest, as he had been on stage one, was Ford Fiesta RS driver Thierry Neuville of the Qatar World Rally Team. “A much faster road, and less dirty too – the car is working well,” he said. The Belgian will start tomorrow’s competition 7.0sec behind Latvala.

WRC 2

In the WRC 2 category, Robert Kubica was fastest on both stages to open a 14.9sec lead in his Citroen DS3 RRC over Elfyn Evans. Evans’ Fiesta R5 is 8.3sec clear of local boy Sepp Wiegand in a Skoda Fabia S2000.

WRC 3

Less than six seconds cover the leading trio in the WRC 3 category after the opening two stages. Championship leader Sebastien Chardonnet was fastest through the opening test in his Citroen DS3R3 to lead Christian Riedemann by 3.3sec. Frenchman Quentin Gilbert lies third, a further 2.2sec behind.

Junior WRC

Jose Suarez leads the Junior WRC category, the Spaniard holding a 10.7sec advantage over Championhisp leader Pontus Tidemenand. Suarez was quickest in the first stage but fellow countryman Jeray Lemes was quickest in the second and he lies 2.0sec behind Tidemand in third.

Sebastien Ogier’s hopes of clinching his maiden world championship title at ADAC Rallye Deutschland ended in today’s opening stage when he went off the road and damaged his Volkswagen Polo R’s front left suspension.

The Frenchman limped for more than 18km to the finish, stopping to allow team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala to pass him, and dropped 2min 30sec.

“I missed the braking point,” admitted the overnight leader. “I didn’t have it in my notes. I went into the vineyard a bit and hit something and damaged the front.”

Asked whether he could continue, Ogier grimaced before leaving the finish to assess the damage.

Thierry Neuville was fastest in his Ford Fiesta RS, 1.2sec ahead of Latvala’s Polo R. However, Latvala leads the Belgian by 5.8sec at the top of the leaderboard.

“I saw the lines on the road but I didn’t have the information until the end of the stage. I didn’t know whether it was a zero car that had gone off or someone with a puncture,” Neuville said. “I feel quite comfortable but now I must go for it, I think.”

Dani Sordo was third in a Citroen DS3, 1.8sec behind Neuville, and the Spaniard is up to third and promising to attack. “We’re here for the fight. The road is a bit dirty, but it’s OK,” he told WRC Live.

An upbeat Mikko Hirvonen was fourth in another DS3 and there was a big gap before Mads Ostberg in fifth, the Norwegian breaking the rear left wheel on his Fiesta RS 5km after the start.

“There was a lot of mud in a junction. I went wide and hit something with the outside. The car felt quite OK but the vibration was bad. It was a heavy vibration, but nothing was damaged,” said Ostberg.

Despite a rain shower this morning, the roads were 95 per cent dry and hard compound Michelin tyres were the choice of most. However, Martin Prokop opted for soft compound rubber on his Fiesta RS and regretted his choice. He overshot a junction to add to his woes.

Khalid Al Qassimi broke a rear left wheel on his DS 3 after hitting a kerb while Michal Kosciuszko hurt his back at a heavy compression. After retiring yesterday when the water temperature on his Fiesta RS soared, P-G Andersson stopped again early in the test.

Thierry Neuville was quickest again on Friday’s second test, the Fiesta RS driver narrowing the gap to rally leader Jari-Matti Latvala to 4.4sec.

However the Belgian was lucky to escape a scary moment mid stage when he came across the Polo R of Sebastien Ogier stopped in the middle of the road.

“It was soon after a high-speed crest and I was surprised to see him there,” the Belgian admitted. “I had to slow down to drive around it, and perhaps I slowed too much. Okay, we’re in a good battle now but I need to get some feeling in the car, I don’t feel comfortable all the time.”

After damaging his car’s front suspension on the previous stage, Championship leader Ogier made emergency repairs on the road section that followed - binding the broken track control arm together with ratchet straps.

He started Moselland, but stopped 17km in when, according to the following drivers, the repair failed. It was the Frenchman’s second retirement of the season, and scuppers his mathematical chance to secure the WRC drivers' title this weekend.

Volkswagen’s hopes of a home rally win now ride with Latvala, who wasn’t surprised to be 1.2sec slower than Neuville. “I tried, but I’ve never been very successful on this stage,” said the Finn. “I have too much understeer and was a bit afraid in the cuts, so I’m not 100 per cent satisfied yet. I need to make a few little modification to the car.”

Thierry Neuville claimed his third win of the morning to move ever closer to the lead of ADAC Rallye Deutschland as Friday's action reached its midpoint.

The Belgian was fastest in his Ford Fiesta RS by 2.0sec from Jari-Matti Latvala’s Volkswagen Polo R and as the drivers returned to Trier for the service, Latvala’s lead was just 2.4sec.

Intermittent rain made conditions slippery in places and those drivers with two Michelin soft compound tyres in the rear of their cars opted to fit them before the test in ‘crossover’ format

Neuville didn’t have that luxury, with just five hard compound tyres available. “In some places the roads were slippery and I braked a bit late, but otherwise I’m comfortable,” he admitted.

Latvala was first through the stage and benefited from the softer rubber. “I don’t know how bad the rain was for the others but it didn’t affect me too much. One or two places were slippery, but it wasn’t a problem,” said the Finn............

WRC 2
Citroen DS3 driver Kubica leads by 8.3sec from Evans in a Ford Fiesta R5. The pair have pulled more than one minute clear of Germany’s Sepp Wiegand, who struggled with a broken co-driver intercom. Hayden Paddon, however, is the pace-setter. The Kiwi was fastest on all three stages in his Skoda Fabia but lies fourth, 1m27sec behind Kubica, after losing time on Thursday with a broken power steering belt.

WRC 3
Sebastien Chardonnet has a 31sec lead over Quentin Gilbert. Chardonnet, who leads the championship, was the overnight leader and pulled further ahead thanks to three stage wins this morning. Keith Cronin is third, 35sec behind Gilbert, with Mohammed Al Mutawaa the only other WRC 3 runner.

JWRC
Pontus Tidemand is back in control of the Junior WRC class after overnight leader Jose Suarez dropped more than two minutes on today’s second stage. Yeray Lemes is a close second, just 6.7sec behind Tidemand, with Michael Burri third, but more than a minute further back.

Thierry Neuville was the pace-setter once again on the repeated Mittelmosel test, extending his unbroken run of stage wins today and narrowing the gap on rally leader Jari-Matti Latvala to just two seconds.

“All okay, a good rhythm,” was all the Ford Fiesta RS driver had to say before he set off for the following Moselland stage.

Latvala was second quickest, fourth-tenths slower than Neuville, and arrived at the finish control with his Polo R sporting a bent right-hand rear wheel rim and a piece missing from its rear spoiler.

“It happened in the sharp compression near the start,” the Finn explained. “I braked for it, but the impact was heavier than I expected. We’ll probably have to change the wheel because I could feel the vibration. In service we made a few [set-up] changes and overall the car feels a lot better.”

Dani Sordo was third quickest, 0.1sec slower than Latvala, and feeling more positive after the service break in Trier. “We made the car set-up a bit harder, and I’m happier with it,” he said. “I lost about four seconds in the first split but we were much better after that.”

Sordo’s Citroen team-mate Mikko Hirvonen was fourth fastest and now more than 30 seconds off the lead in the overall standings. “It looks like everybody ahead has lifted their pace, I did the same but for sure they are getting away a bit,” he said.

Mads Ostberg is fifth, one minute behind Hirvonen, and still puzzled by his performance so far. “The car is definitely better, it felt quite okay in the stage, but I lost a lot in the end and I don’t know why. We carry on,” he said.

Weather conditions were drier and brighter than the morning loop, and with no rain forecast all of the WRC runners elected to use Michelin’s hard-compound tyre and carry one spare.

Michal Kosciuszko retired from the day at the midpoint service. The Pole jarred his back on today’s opening stage and on the advice of his team has gone to hospital in Trier for a precautionary check-up.

Jari-Matti Latvala ended Thierry Neuville’s run of four stage wins when he topped the times though the second pass of the Moselland vineyard stage.

The Finn was fastest by 2.6sec in his Volkswagen Polo R from Neuville’s Ford Fiesta RS to stretch his lead to 4.6sec as their enthralling battle for supremacy headed towards the final stage of the second leg.

“It was a hard stage with a lot of hairpins, gravel and dirt,” said Latvala. “There were a lot of nasty places. In one way it was nice, but in another it was hard. I had a good go and I’m really satisfied with my performance there.”

Neuville admitted there was nothing more he could have done to match Latvala. “I was at the maximum and I don’t know where I could gain another half second even. I can’t do more. I started to understeer towards the end, it was becoming too warm for the tyres,” he explained.

Dani Sordo was third, 4.2sec behind Latvala and the Spaniard also reported understeer in his Citroen DS3.

Team-mate Mikko Hirvonen was fourth, as he has been on every stage today, and the Finn now has a sizeable gap both in front and behind him on the leaderboard. “I have a good rhythm and I don’t want to up my limits further because I feel I will make a mistake,” he said.

Almost 17sec slower than Hirvonen was Mads Ostberg and the frustrated Norwegian is now almost 80sec behind him on the leaderboard in fifth

“I changed the car in service to give me more confidence. I changed it again before this stage and it took away that confidence. So I will try to change it back again now. I have no confidence or rhythm and when you don’t have a good rhythm here you lose a lot of time,” he explained.

Evgeny Novikov rounded off the top six, the Russian adopting a cautious policy in his Fiesta after yesterday’s opening stage crash.

Volkswagen's Jari-Matti Latvala has a slender 7.3sec lead of ADAC Rallye Deutschland at the end of a thrilling second day, during which he fended off a determined attack from Ford Fiesta RS driver Thierry Neuville.

Latvala took the lead on today’s opening stage after his team-mate Sebastien Ogier went off, breaking the front suspension on his Polo R and retiring shortly after.

Inheriting a lead of less than six seconds, Latvala was under pressure in the morning loop, losing time on all three stages to Neuville. But after car set-up changes in service, the increasingly confident Finn upped his pace on the drier afternoon stages, and ended the day with two fastest times.

“I have to be honest, I really enjoyed driving the last two,” said Latvala. “The car is really nice at the moment and I love it. Okay, it’s not easy, but I think we’re going in the right direction. For tomorrow I don’t know. We’re expecting rain and on this rally you never know what that might bring.”

On his preferred road surface, Neuville has never looked closer to his first WRC victory, but the 25-year-old Belgian admitted he didn’t have anything else in reserve.

“On the last two stages I was at the maximum, flat-out everywhere - I can’t do more,” he said. “I was pushing like hell. No mistakes, always very fast and sideways but that’s what you need to do here. It's big, big fun but when I see the split times I’m a little bit frustrated.” ...............

WRC 2

Robert Kubica continues to lead the WRC 2 category after the second leg of ADAC Rallye Deutschland but the Pole has been unable to shake off Elfyn Evans. Kubica holds a 12.4sec advantage in his Citroen DS3 RRC over Evans’ Ford Fiesta R5 and the two frontrunners have built a sizeable gap over Sepp Wiegand’s Skoda Fabia S2000 in third.

WRC 3

Sebastien Chardonnet leads Keith Cronin by 1min 56.0sec after a day that decimated the field. Leg 1 leader Chardonnet maintained his momentum until he hit a dog this afternoon. The impact damaged the radiator of his Citroen DS3 R3 and he dropped 45sec in the final two stages as he nursed the car back to Trier. The only other survivor is Mohammed Al Mutawaa, more than 12 minutes behind Cronin.

JWRC

Championship leader Pontus Tidemand took charge of the JWRC category when overnight leader Jose Suarez went off the road this morning and dropped almost five minutes. Yeray Lemes was hot on Tidemand's heels but gearchange issues left the Spaniard's Ford Fiesta R2 stuck in fifth gear and he plummeted to fifth. Michael Burri is second, 2min 24.6sec behind Tidemand, with Marius Aasen a further 16.0sec back in third.

Less than one second covered the times of the Rallye Deutschland top three through Saturday’s opener, with Citroen’s Dani Sordo getting a morning confidence boost by beating his rivals Jari-Matti Latvala and Thierry Neuville.

“My confidence was good yesterday, now I’m really happy with the set-up,” said Sordo, the fastest of the trio by 0.5sec. “We changed a few things and although this wasn’t a perfect stage it’s a good start.”

The Spaniard holds third, 18secs adrift of second placed Neuville. Volkswagen Polo R driver Latvala was closest to Sordo’s stage time and extended his rally lead slightly to 7.4sec.

“All good, but the stage was a mix of small and big roads - in some places there was plenty of grip and in others it was really slippery,” said the Finn. “There was a sort of dust on the surface, perhaps from the lorries that use the roads. Luckily I was braking early enough.”

Neuville was just one-tenth slower than Latvala in his Ford Fiesta RS. “The times are quite close, everybody is driving well – it seems we are all awake,” the Belgian grinned. “I enjoyed it. No risks. Perhaps not smooth enough in some places but okay, a clean run. We continue like this."

Sebastien Ogier recorded the outright fastest time, but after his retirement yesterday he was way down the order, 27 minutes adrift of the leaders.

Jari-Matti Latvala continued to edge away from Thierry Neuville in their battle for the lead at ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

The Finn was second fastest in his Volkswagen Polo R, stretching his advantage over the Belgian by a further 3.2sec in just 9.23km. Latvala heads towards the daunting 41.08km Arena Panzerplatte test on the Baumholder military land with his lead up to 10.6sec, the largest since their duel at the top began yesterday morning.

“It was really fast and we drove for a long time on the rev limiter, but there were also narrow places under the trees in the forest,” said Latvala. “There’s a good fight going on and now we go to the military area for a long stage. That’s the important one. It’s usually the key stage in the rally.”

Neuville admitted he could have done no more to match Latvala. “It’s difficult to follow Jari-Matti at this pace. I can see his lines and I’m braking later than him so I can’t do anything else. I had a perfect run,” said the Ford Fiesta RS driver.

Dani Sordo was quickest, two-tenths of a second ahead of the leader, in his Citroen DS3. The Spaniard thought he had won the previous test until his time was smashed by Sebastien Ogier, but this was his first stage win since the Acropolis Rally of Greece in June.

Ogier settled for third this time, 1.9sec off Latvala’s pace. “I’m getting experience with the car and working on the set-up,” said the Frenchman.

“There were a lot of cuts and the road was dirty so there was no chance to be fastest. We’ve decided to drive at a good rhythm otherwise it’s a long and boring day,” added Ogier, who restarted under Rally 2 regulations after retiring yesterday.

Volkswagen’s Jari-Matti Latvala returns to the midpoint service in Trier with his overnight lead intact and thanking his lucky stars after a scary moment on the morning’s final test.

The Finn extended his lead over Thierry Neuville from 4.6sec to 14.8sec on Saturday’s first loop of three stages, but he nearly threw it all away when he clipped a massive concrete block with his Polo R on the first pass through Arena Panzerplatte.

Arriving at the stage end with bodywork damage to the co-driver’s side of his Polo R, Latvala explained what had happened: “It was on a left-hand corner in a forest section - the road was very slippery and we lost grip. We went wide, clipped a Hinkelstein and that sent us into a small spin. It's a very lucky situation that everything is okay with the car.”

Ford Fiesta RS driver Neuville followed Latvala though the stage and offered a similar assessment. “I saw the lines in the road where he went off – he was very, very lucky.”

Apart from the continued presence of Latvala ahead of him, Neuville had a good morning and remains firmly in winning contention. “I’m pleased with my driving, but on Panzerplatte I tried to manage my tyres and I was too safe at the beginning. I got some time back towards the end, but not enough,” he said.

A resurgent Dani Sordo has been quicker than both Latvala and Neuville in his Citroen DS3 on each of the morning stages. The Spaniard remains third, but is far happier with the set-up of his car and is now just 9sec behind Neuville – down from 19sec at the start of the day.

Sordo’s team-mate Mikko Hirvonen is fourth, almost a minute further back, but well placed to snatch a podium should anything happen to the lead trio. “I didn’t take any risks. We made it through without any problems. We plan to carry on like this,” Hirvonen explained at the end of Panzerplatte.

The ADAC Rallye Deutschland leaderboard was turned upside down when both leader Jari-Matti Latvala and second-placed Thierry Neuville went off the road at a rain-soaked left bend shortly before the middle of the stage.

A brake disc was ripped from Latvala’s Volkswagen Polo R and although he tried to limp to the end, the Finn retired 5km before the finish. Bizarrely, Latvala was reported to have started the stage with co-driver Miikka Anttila’s door flapping open.

Neuville was luckier. The impact dented the rear left of his Ford Fiesta RS and the Belgian completed the rest of the test with a log jammed underneath the rear of the car (pictured above after the stage).

“You couldn’t see the corner, it was so slippery,” he said. “Latvala touched and we touched the same. I saw his brake disc in the corner. I tried to slow down but it was too late and we weren’t pushing. It was second gear, that was all. I couldn’t avoid it. It was like ice and many drivers will have problems there.”

An animated Neuville added: “Now my exhaust is blocked, and there is no power.” His Qatar World Rally Team later confirmed that although the exhaust was damaged, it would not prevent him from continuing.

Amid all the drama, Dani Sordo was second quickest in his Citroen DS3 and now lies just 1.1sec behind new leader Neuville, who was third fastest but dropped almost 8sec to the Spaniard.

“They were very slippery conditions. I’m very happy. I did a good stage, but I don’t want to speak a lot yet because there are difficult conditions in the next stages. We had moments all the time,” admitted Sordo.

The drama continued as Mads Ostberg went off the road in a wooded section 9.6km into the stage. He crashed at a left bend and with the car stuck in a ditch he had to retire.

Sebastien Ogier was fastest in his Polo R by 9.2sec from Sordo, the Frenchman succinctly summarising the stage as ‘quite tricky’. Behind Neuville, Mikko Hirvonen was fourth ahead of the dueling WRC 2 duo of Elfyn Evans and Robert Kubica, now fifth and sixth overall.

Dani Sordo is the new leader of ADAC Rallye Deutschland after he edged past Thierry Neuville with the fastest time on the repeated Peterberg test.

Sordo, who has started 106 WRC rallies but is yet to win one, now holds a slim 0.8sec advantage at the top of the standings in his Citroen DS3.

Having avoided the carnage on the previous test, and mastered the damp and slippery conditions in Peterberg, Sordo was in high spirits at the finish control. “That was great, really nice,” he said. “The stage was a bit dirty, with lots of gravel, but no problems. I’m very happy.”

Neuville was 1.9sec slower than Sordo, his car hampered by an exhaust pipe that had been squeezed half-closed by the incident on the previous stage.

“The handling is okay but the exhaust is quite bent so we lost a bit of power,” he explained. “I think it is okay, and actually we are lucky to be here at all because many cars hit trouble in that stage.”

Mikko Hirvonen put in another cautious performance and set the sixth fastest time to remain third, a distant 1m26s behind Neuville. “It's muddy and slippery in many places, so I took it carefully while watching what’s happening in front,” said the Finn.

Former F1 driver Robert Kubica was fifth fastest in his DS3 RRC - beating the times of World Rally Car drivers Hirvonen, Martin Prokop and Khalid Al Qassimi. The Pole, who leads the WRC 2 category, is fifth overall, 1m26s behind Martin Prokop.

The Volkswagen driver began the second loop of stages with a 14.8-second advantage over Neuville, but things soon went awry on the Stein & Wein test when his co-driver's door failed to close.

He then made slow progress through the 26.5km stage before coming to an abrupt halt after hitting an obstacle that resulted in his retirement.

The Finn will return for Sunday’s two stages under Rally2 conditions.

His misfortunate temporarily promoted Neuville into the lead of the event - ahead of Sordo - but a malfunctioning exhaust and a fencepost lodged under the Belgian’s M-Ford Fiesta resulted in him losing time through the Peterberg stage.

It now means that Sordo has a slender 0.8s advantage over Neuville going into tomorrow’s final two stages as this afternoon’s Panzerplatte was cancelled due to the fatal crash in the earlier in the day.

Behind the top two, there is a 1m27.6s gap to a downcast Mikko Hirvonen, who bemoaned the slippery conditions he faced during both stages.

Martin Prokop is next of the best WRC runners in fourth, with Robert Kubica now fifth overall after trading quickest times this afternoon with Elfyn Evans in WRC2.

The organisers of ADAC Rallye Deutschland have issued the following statement:

“It is with great sadness that the organiser can confirm an accident took place this afternoon at the Arena Panzerplatte involving a historic car participating in a non-competitive demonstration programme.

The car, driven by a Dutch pairing, left the route near the Gina crest. The emergency services were on the scene immediately to assist but despite their best efforts the injuries sustained by both the driver and passenger proved fatal. No one else was involved in the incident.

Everyone associated with the event extends their deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends and individuals who are being touched by today’s terrible tragedy.

The second passage of Arena Panzerplatte has been cancelled and the competition cars have been re-routed back to the Service Park in Trier.

With the top two on Rallye Deutschland split by less than one second at the start of today’s final leg, all eyes were on the tense duel between Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville.

In dry but overcast conditions, Sordo took the early advantage, the Spaniard fastest in his Citroen DS3 to eke a slender 3sec lead over Neuville with only one more test to go.

Sordo was first to tackle the stage, and was slower than his rival at the first three split points. He lifted his pace in the second half, however, completing 2.2sec quicker than Neuville.

“At the beginning, I don't know, I think I made a small mistake, but after that I really concentrated and pushed harder,” he said. “The last section was very difficult, with lots of mud around, but we got through okay.”

Asked how he was coping with the pressure of being perhaps one stage away from the first victory of his 10-year WRC career, Sordo said: “All I can do is drive as fast as possible and try not to think about it. If I win then it will be nice. If not, then at least I had a nice fight...”

Neuville was next to complete in his Ford Fiesta RS, acknowledging that it hadn’t been his best performance. “I lost the brakes a little bit and that affected my confidence,” he said. “I used the handbrake too much and overheated the brakes, also I think the set-up could be a bit stiffer.” Asked if he could catch Sordo, Neuville replied: “I’m going to try. Everything is possible.”

Despite the forecast of some light rain later, and no opportunity to change tyres before the stage is run again, both Neuville and Sordo elected to run Michelin’s hard compound rubber, and carry one spare.

Sebastien Ogier was third quickest in his Polo R, 10.1sec slower than Neuville, and focused on fine-tuning his Dhrontal pace notes before a push for three Power Stage points on the second pass.

Ogier’s Volkswagen team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala was fourth fastest, having re-started this morning after his retirement on Saturday. The Finn holds seventh place and is after manufacturers’ championship points today.

Mikko Hirvonen was fifth fastest, the Finn’s priority to consolidate his third place and keep a second Citroen on the podium. “We took it slow, but maybe I shouldn't have gone *that* slow,” he joked. “We were steady, driving to the splits of the guys ahead, and took it really, really carefully.”

Dani Sordo claimed his maiden WRC victory at ADAC Rallye Deutschland after a nail-biting finale to this ninth round of the season.

The Spaniard, driving a Citroen DS3, edged out Belgium’s Thierry Neuville by 53 sec after the Ford Fiesta RS driver went off the road just before the finish. Mikko Hirvonen was third in the second Citroen works team DS3.

Volkswagen’s Sebastien Ogier claimed a maximum three bonus points after winning the final Dhrontal Power Stage. Sordo scored two points with second while Jari-Matti Latvala took the last point.

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Sordo claims maiden win in Germany

Dani Sordo secured his first WRC victory after almost 10 years of trying when he won an enthralling ADAC Rallye Deutschland today.

The Spaniard was the ‘nearly’ man of the WRC after 34 podiums from 106 starts. However, the 30-year-old came good to beat Thierry Neuville by 53.0sec following a final stage showdown that was only settled when the Belgian went off the road 3km from the finish.

Sordo, the 2005 junior world champion, started the final Dhrontal test in the narrow and twisty Mosel vineyards with a 3.0sec advantage in his Citroen DS3.

He stretched his advantage in the early part of the 24.58km stage, before Neuville fought back. The duo were tied at the final split point with just over 4km remaining, but Neuville’s hopes were dashed when his Ford Fiesta RS went off the road.

“It’s a great moment for me,” said an emotional Sordo as he embraced his parents at the stop line. “Thierry was pushing so hard. He was a little slower than me at first but then he was faster so I needed to push harder. I was so nervous at the start but this win is something I’ve dreamed of for many years.”

After the demise of early leader Sebastien Ogier, who broke his Volkswagen Polo R’s suspension after crashing early in the second leg, team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala led with Sordo and Neuville dueling behind.

Neuville had the better of Friday’s second leg to build a 19.0sec advantage. But the roles were reversed yesterday and when Latvala crashed, Sordo ended the penultimate day with a lead of just 0.8sec to set up today’s thrilling finale.

Robert Kubica took victory in the WRC 2 class of Rallye Deutschland after a thrilling battle with Welsh youngster Elfyn Evans.

The duel between the two was finally settled in the Pole’s favour by just 12.9sec, while Hayden Paddon from New Zealand was third, 3min 47sec further back.

The ex-Formula 1 driver was the early pace-setter in his Citroen DS3 RRC, fending off Evans’ Fiesta R5 until stage nine on Saturday when the reigning WRC Academy champion edged ahead.

The class lead swapped four times that day, with Kubica emerging with a 7.8sec advantage ahead of today’s final two stages. The win was Kubica’s third in his debut WRC 2 season - his first on tarmac - and moves him into the lead of the championship with four rallies remaining.

“It has been a good rally and a completely different type of tarmac to what I’m used to,” said Kubica, who revealed that it nearly all went wrong on the last stage.

“I was very nervous because we heard some noise in the transmission. I got distracted and missed a braking point,” he said. “Also the brake pedal wasn’t so good so we had some diff or transmission problems. Fortunately we are here - so all good.”

Evans, 24, was one of the first to congratulate his rival at the finish control. “It's been great,” he said. “Okay, we’ve had a few ups and downs and we’ve lost a few seconds here and there with various issues, but it’s been a fantastic fight with Robert and I’m looking forward to France very, very much.”